Collapsible tube dispenser



1366- 1966 o. M. SENCABAUGH COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSER Filed Jan. 18, 1965 I 32 2s m 34 FIG. 2

FIGE

I N \"E N TOR.

DWIGH T M. SENCABAUGH ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,289,892 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DKSPENSER Dwight M. Sencabaugh, 15319 Edgewater Drive, Lakewood, Ohio Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,143 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-95) This invention relates to a dispensing device and more particularly to a dispensing device for assisting in the manual removal or dispensing of material in paste form from collapsible tubes.

Many paste-like materials, such as toothpaste, adhesives, cosmetics, and medical ointments and the like are distributed in disposable collapsible tubes and from which the material is dispensed by applying pressure to one end of the tube. Manually dispensing material from a tube without the assistance of a dispensing device results in waste due to incomplete evacuation of the tube unless considerable time and care is exercised in the dispensing operation. Incomplete evacuation is caused by material flowing into the collapsed portion of the tube as pressure is applied to the tube. The manual dispension also frequently causes tubes to rupture, particularly where the tube contains relatively low viscous paste material resulting in wasted material.

Prior devices for dispensing or assisting in the dispensing of material in tubes of the character referred to have, for the most part, been relatively complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture and difficult to use.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved dispenser for collapsible tubes containing material in paste form which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a dispensing device for assisting in the removal of paste-like material from a collapsible tube which includes means for securing a tube in the dispenser and to provide a barrier between the uncollapsed part of the tube which contains the material to be dispensed and the collapsed part of the tube from which the material has been removed to prevent the material from flowing into the collapsed part of the tube during the application of pressure to the tube in the dispensing operation and which comprises a base or support member, a securing member connected to and arranged relative to the base member to define a slot therebetween into which a portion of the. tube is adapted to be inserted. Initially, the flattened end of the tube is inserted in the slot until the tube abuts against a flange member whereupon the securing member is preferably bent toward the base member to pinch the portion of the I tube between the members to secure the tube in the dispensing device. As material is removed from the tube, the tube is periodically repositioned in the dispenser so that the pinching action on the tube occurs adjacent to the part having paste therein. This pinching action on the tube not only secures the tube in the dispenser but in addition, provides a barrier between the fully collapsed part of the tube and the part containing the material so that as pressure is applied to the tube by the users thumb the material in the tube will not flow into the collapsed end of the tube thereby providing for more complete removal of the paste material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which comprises a base member connected to a securing member wherein the members have spaced opposed sides defining a slot therebetween, a guide flange located along other aligned sides of the members, and a tube retaining means on the base member opposite the flange to cooperate with the flange to prevent substantial lateral shifting of the tube relative to the dispenser.

Patented Dec. 6, 1966 A further object of the invention is the provision of a dispensing device of the character referred to which is readily insertable in the box or container which packages the tube.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing device embodying the invention and having a tube assembled therewith and from which material is to be manually dispensed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dispensing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified dispensing device showing a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing device shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a partially emptied tube positioned therein looking from the left-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the dispensing device shown in FIGS. 1-3 with a partially emptied tube positioned therein looking from the right-hand side of FIG. 2 and;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a preferable manner of packaging the dispensing device of the present invention with the tube and box therefor.

The members are connected along aligned sides 23, 24 by a flange 25 which projects substantially normal to the members 20, 22 and provides an abutment for tube 10. The members 20, 22 have other sides 26, 28 which are opposed and spaced from one another to form a slot 30 therebetween. Slot 30 extends between sides 26, 28 and terminates adjacent the base of flange 25 to permit abutment of one side of the tube against flange 25 when the sealed end of tube 10 is inserted in slot 30. Another reason for terminating the slot 30 at the base of flange 25 is to permit use of the flange as a hinge between members 20, 22 when the members are moved relative to one another. This arrangement will prolong the life of the dispensing device.

Preferably, securing member 22 is arranged initially so that slot 36 is substantially rectangular in cross-section, i.e., sides 26 and 28 are in parallel relationship as shown in FIG. 2. The width of the slot would be slightly larger than the thickness of tube end 15 to enable the tube to be readily assembled in the dispensing device. After the sealed end of the tube has been inserted in slot 30, the securing member 22 is moved towards base member 20 to exert a pinching action on the tube at 32 which secures the tube to the dispensing device A preparatory to the dispensing operation.

A person desiring to dispense material from the tube grasps the assembly in the manner shown in FIG. 1 and applies pressure to the rear end of the tube adjacent the slot 30 forcing paste 12 out of the tube through neck 14. After a sufficient amount of paste material has been removed from the tube, the portion of the tube adjacent slot 30 will be collapsed. The tube is then repositioned in the device A by moving securing member 22 away from the base member 20 thereby widening slot 30 and releasing the tube. The tube is repositioned in the slot with the uncollapsed tube portion containing material positioned adjacent the sides 26, 28. The securing member 22 is then moved toward the base member 20 to again pinch and secure the tube to the dispensing device A. The collapsed portion of the tube can be rolled up so that it does not interfere with the device as illustrated in FIG. 4 or alternatively, the collapsed tube portion can be bent against the underside of base member 20 as illustrated in FIG. 5. If desired, side 33 of member 22 can be of a configuration to form a tab 34 on the end thereof which provides a convenient area for grasping member 22.

Although side 28 of securing member 22 and side 26 of base member 20 have been described as being in a parallel arrangement in their initial position, it would be Within the spirit of the invention to initially locate the securing member 22 relative to base member 20 in the tube pinch position as shown in FIG. 2 so as to form a slot diverging toward the flange as shown in FIG. 3. In this arrangement the dispensing device or at least securing member 22 would be so constructed such as from a resilient material so that the relative positions of the members shown in FIG. 3 will be maintained. The sealed end of the tube would be forced between sides 26 and 28 thereby eliminating subsequent bending of securing member 22 toward member 20.

A modified dispensing device is disclosed in FIG. 3 and in which like reference numerals have been used to indicate parts of the modified dispensing device which are common to parts of the dispensing device shown in FIG. 2. The modification comprises the addition of lug 36 on base member 20 along side 26 at the end opposite flange 25. This lug is arrange-d to engage the side portion of tube opposite the side which is in engagement with flange 25 to limit the lateral shifting of tube 10 relative to the dispensing device A. The distance between lug 36 and flange 25 would closely approximate the width of the associated tube when it is in the collapsed condition. Otherwise, the dispensing device of 'FIG. 3 functions the same as the dispensing device shown in FIG. 2.

The design of the dispensing device of the present invention lends itself for convenient inclusion in the same box or container in which the tube is packaged. A preferable packaging arrangement is disclosed in FIG. 6 wherein the tube 10 may be inserted in the box and the dispensing device subsequently inserted with the long dimension disposed along the length of the tube. The flange 25 rests on tube shoulder 16. This arrangement preventsthe dispensing device A from dropping to the bottom of the box where it might be overlooked and/or its removal made more difiicult.

' The dispensing device can be made in various sizes according to the size of the tube with which it is to be used. The long dimension of base member is determined by the width of the associated tube in its collapsed state. Also, the dispensing device can be made of any suitable material such as metal or plastic. The criteria for selecting a material would be the amount of bending which the material would withstand without failure, the cost of the material, and the esthetic afiect which could be created with the material.

Any suitable method of manufacturing could be used for producing the dispensing device of the present invention such as stamp the part out of a sheet as a unitary piece, casting, molding or forming the parts separately and joining them by welding, or the like. As pointed out previously a substantial portion of the bending occurs in flange so if desirable, this flange could be manufactured in a manner to accommodate the bending such as using a metal having better bending characteristics or by making the flange thicker than the base and securing members to name a few of the alternatives.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the objects heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished and that the-re has been provided a novel and im proved dispensing device for assisting in the manual removal of dispensing of material in paste form from disposable collapsible tubes. While two preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it is to be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and it is the intention to hereby cover all improvements thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device for assisting in dispensing paste-like material from a collapsible tube, a base member against which a tube of material is adapted to be pressed, a securing member having one side thereof opposed to and spaced from one side of said base member to define a slot therebetween arranged to receive the tube, a flange means connecting said members along aligned sides of said members and projecting normal thereto and above the plane of said members to provide an abutment for a portion of the tube when it is inserted in the slot and in which position the tube is adapted to be secured by pinching action of said members to prevent the flow of material into the collapsed portion of the tube upon application of pressure to the tube.

2. A dispensing device for assisting in the manual removal of material in paste form from a disposable c0llapsible tube, a plate-like base member against which a portion of the tube is adapted to be pressed, a plate-like securing member connected to the base member along one aligned sides of said members, a flange upstanding from and normal to said one aligned sides of said members and against which a portion of the tube is adapted to abut, a lug projecting from another side of said base member and arrange-d to guidingly engage an opposite portion of the tube, said securing member having another side opposed to and spaced from said another side of said base member defining a slot therebetween which is adapted to receive a portion of the tube and to secure the tube to the dispensing device.

3. The dispensing device as defined in claim 2 in which said another side of said base member is of a length greater than the said opposed side of said securing member defining a tube inserting area.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,138 1/1917 Glasow et. al. 222-403 X 1,799,678 4/1931 Devlin 222103 X 2,148,321 2/ 1939 Oplinger 222106 2,790,579 4/ 1957 Woldorf 222103 I 3,198,391 8/1965 Sencabaugh 222105 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR ASSISTING IN DISPENSING PASTE-LIKE MATERIAL FROM A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, A BASE MEMBER AGAINST WHICH A TUBE OF MATERIAL IS DAPTED TO BE PRESSED, A SECURING MEMBER HAVING ONE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSED TO AND SPACED FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID BASE MEMBER TO DEFINE A SLOT THEREBETWEEN ARRANGED TO RECEIVE THE TUBE, A FLANGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS ALONG ALIGNED SIDES OF SAID MEMBERS AND PROJECTING NORMAL THERETO AND ABOVE THE PLANE OF SAID SAID MEMBERS TO PROVIDE AN ABUTMENT FOR% A PORTION OF THE TUBE WHEN IT IS INSERTED IN THE SLOT AND IN WHICH POSITION THE TUBE IS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED BY PINCHIONG ACTION OF SAID MEMBERS TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF MATERIAL INTO THE COLLAPSED PORTION OF THE TUBE UPON APPLICATION OF PRESSURE TO THE TUBE. 